Record for Gusev, Rafikov unlocks Neftekhimik. November 8 round-up

Nikita Gusev set a new club record for Sochi as the Leopards won in overtime against Dinamo Minsk. He’s picked up points in 11 successive games, and his latest was the winning goal in a 3-2 success. Rushan Rafikov had a four-point game as Lokomotiv returned to the top of the Western Conference with a 5-1 win at Neftekhimik. Amur returned to the top four in the East after blanking Barys, and Avtomobilist came from 0-2 to win at Traktor in a shoot-out.

Trushkov denies Barys

Amur Khabarovsk 2 Barys Astana 0 (0-0, 1-0, 1-0)

The Tigers blanked one of the KHL’s most prolific teams, handing Barys a third successive loss. Goalie Alexander Trushkov made 39 saves for his fourth shut-out of the season.

Victory restores Amur to the top four in the East two days after a 2-3 loss at home to SKA. In that game, it blew a 2-0 lead, much like Barys in its 4-5 loss to Admiral last time out.

The first period rattled along at a lively pace with few breaks in play. Barys showed greater offensive intent, holding Amur to just two shots on goal and forcing nine saves out of Trushkov in a goalless opening stanza.

After the intermission, Barys created several scoring chances. The best of them fell to Asanali Sarkenov, who saw his goalbound shot blocked by a defenseman. Trushkov continued to keep his goal intact, while Hunter Shepherd was beaten at the other end in the 38th minute. Oleg Li, Amur’s scoring leader this season, converted a power play and moves to 13 (3+10) points.

The third period followed the same pattern as the first two. Barys had more of the play but could not turn pressure into goals. Amur relied on counter-attacks, and Vitaly Abramov came close to doubling the lead. In response, Arkady Shestakov had a glorious chance from a meter out, but Trushkov preserved his team’s lead. The final word went to Kirill Urakov, whose empty net goal sealed a 2-0 verdict.

Rafikov orchestrates Lokomotiv victory

Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk 1 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 5 (0-1, 0-2, 1-2)

Despite some uneven results of late, Lokomotiv made short work of a Neftekhimik team that lies second in the Eastern Conference. Four points from Rushan Rafikov powered a 5-1 road win for the defending champion.

Neftekhimik, meanwhile, is showing signs of strain after an incredible start to the season placed it among the leaders in the East. Today’s loss following a 1-8 humbling at table-topping Metallurg. While Oleg Grishin’s team is more competitive than in previous years, it is perhaps still a level away from competing with the very best in the KHL.

Today’s game started with early pressure from Lokomotiv, which led to an early power play. There was no immediate breakthrough, and Filipp Dolganov made a few routine saves to keep the scoreboard blank. After seeing the Railwaymen twice fail to break down Lada’s defense during the week, Neftekhimik played a conservative game. However, the home team was undone by a swift attack when Yegor Surin burst into the danger zone and put an unstoppable shot past Dolganov.

Neftekhimik had something of a lifeline in the second period, but failed to convert back-to-back power plays. Loko soon punished that wastefulness, with two goals in 26 seconds from Andrei Pustovoi and Maxim Shalunov, the latter scored on the power play.

That effectively killed the contest and Lokomotiv calmly closed down the play all over the ice. Another PP in the third brought a goal for Artur Kayumov, and Rafikov claimed his fourth helper of the night, moving him to 20 points. Rafikov shares the KHL scoring lead among defensemen with Traktor’s Grigory Dronov.

Largely outplayed, Neftekhimik managed a consolation effort from Artur Tyanulin on the power play. But the final word was always going to the visitor and Matvei Kotkov wrapped it up with a fifth goal – for once without involving Rafikov.

Avto into top eight after comeback win

Traktor Chelyabinsk 2 Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg 3 SO (0-0, 2-0, 0-2, 0-0, 0-1)

Avtomobilist rallied from 0-2 to claim a shoot-out victory in Chelyabinsk. Artyom Kashtanov settled the game in the Motormen’s favor after goals from Anatoly Golyshev and Alexander Kadeikin cancelled out the home lead.

The win halted a two-game losing streak for the visitor, while also ending Traktor’s two-game winning run. Avtomobilist moves into the playoff places in seventh spot, one of five teams on 25 points in an incredibly tight section.

Traktor could also have moved into the top eight with a win, and both teams made a cautious start in pursuit at that goal. It wasn’t until the second period that we saw the opening goal. Andrei Chivilyov got his first point since joining Traktor from Lada, assisting as Artemy Nizameyev put the home team up after 25 minutes. Nathan Legare doubled that lead midway through the frame, proving once again that he’s a hard man to stop when the puck is bouncing around the slot. The Canadian was on target for the third game in a row.

Boris Katchouk had a great chance to make it 3-0 early in the third but could not beat Evgeny Alikin after getting one-on-one with the visiting goalie. Then came the Avto fightback. Golyshev pulled one back on the wraparound, then Kadeikin scored on his previous club with a solo effort just 45 seconds later.

Katchouk once again went close in overtime, but the extras could not produce a winner. It came down to a shoot-out, which needed 14 attempts to separate the teams. Kashtanov eventually claimed the winner, with Alikin snuffing out Mikhail Rolgizer’s last chance to save Traktor.

Gusev’s record helps Sochi to victory

HC Sochi 3 Dinamo Minsk 2 OT (0-0, 2-1, 0-1, 1-0)

Nikita Gusev extended his hot streak to a club record 11 games before potting Sochi’s overtime winner against Dinamo Minsk. The result lifts the Leopards off the foot of the Western Conference standings, while preventing the Belarusians from returning to the top eight.

Gusev, 34, extended his scoring run with an assist on the opening goal in the 29th minute. Alexander Khokhlachyov was the scorer as the home team broke the deadlock. And Sochi doubled its lead three minutes later through Dmitry Kagarlitsky, seemingly setting up a straightforward home win.

Dinamo, awaiting the arrival of recent signing Stephane da Costa to strengthen its attacking options, responded well. Nicolas Aube-Kubel pulled a goal back before the second intermission, then a goal from Sam Anas after 56 minutes took the game into overtime. Dinamo’s point moves it level with eighth-placed SKA, but Andrei Razin’s team is ahead on the number of regulation time wins.

But the Belarusians could not get the additional point it needed to return to the top eight. A minute into the extras, a Dinamo attack broke down and Artur Gizdatullin led a breakaway. He picked out Gusev between the hash marks and the forward rifled a shot past Evgeny Prokhorov to win the game.